Date night has no age limit.
In fact, it has its fair share of health benefits for older couples. Spending a night out on the town with someone special can encourage healthy socialization, physical activity, and mental stimulation.
If you’re in search of the right combination of age-appropriate yet fun dating ideas, here are some date night activities fitting for daters in their golden years.
A night at the jazz club
The soothing sounds of jazz musicians in an intimate setting constitute a relaxing and romantic date night. Taking in classic or experimental jazz can encourage conversation and a form of music therapy. According to WebMD, receptive music therapy, which involves time for mindful listening of curated live or recorded music, has health benefits for older adults. They include mental stimulation, socialization and creativity.
Putt your heart out
An active couple looking to incorporate a little competition into their date day or night could enjoy some rounds of miniature golf. Putters go through a round of 18 holes, often along colorful and exciting courses. This date will spice up your love life while teeing up your physical activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research on physical activity in older adults found that daily, moderate physical activities performed in long or short increments have major health benefits, such as reducing the risk of hypertension, heart disease, and other conditions.
Have a movie night
Though streaming has become the newfangled way to consume cinema, there’s still some magic to taking in drama, comedy, or action on the big screen. The movie theater provides an alternative to at-home movie night with reclining, stadium seating, and state-of-the-art sounds and views.
The benefits of a movie date night can also impact both intellectual and emotional development, according to psychology researchers. A study conducted by the University College London and Vue Cinema explored those physiological effects of movie watching. Study participants watching “Aladdin” experienced elevated heart rates due to extended mental focus on the film. Having a focused and shared activity has been shown to have long-term benefits on productivity, brain function, focus and memory.
“What we know from previous work is that when people demonstrate synchronized physiological responses like this, they also show stronger social and emotional bonds,” said study leader Joseph Devlin, UCL professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Vice Dean of Innovation and Enterprise, Faculty of Brain Sciences.
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